Fire-escape



A. SOHEID. FIRE ESUAPE.

(No Model.)

No. 496,958. Patented May 9, 1893.

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WITNESSES:

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

ADAll/LSOHEID, OF HARRISON, NEWV JERSEY.

Fl RE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,958, dated May 9, 1893. Application filed February 6, 1893. Serial No. 461.278- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ADAM SCHEID, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrison, county of Hudson, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple, durable and reliable portable fire escase, easily handled and operated and cheap in construction.

The invention consists in the novel construction of the fire escape, in the arrangement of the stopping and regulating mechanism and in the combination and arrangement of the various parts thereof, substantially as will be hereinafter more fully described and finally embodied in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views: Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved portable fire escape. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the same, the belt supporting rope being removed, and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of Fig. 1, with certain portions removed and others broken away.

In said drawin s a represents a hollow cylindrical shell or body, at the upper end of which project the arms or lugs b supporting the friction roll 0. Below the roll 0 and in one side of the body a is cut an elongated slot 8 in which is placed a metallic block 4". Within the body a and extending some distance below the same is placed a rubber or elastic tube 0 through which the main rope n is adapted to pass, all as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

On the sides of the body a and on either side of the slot 5 are cast or otherwise made integral with said body two projecting lugs d serving as bearings for the pin 6 on which is pivotally arranged the eccentric or cam leverf having a downwardly projecting arm or handle g. Arranged opposite the pin e and on '5 71 substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings. At the lower end of the body a is also placed an outwardly projecting ringor loop is for the purposes hereinafter specified.

The inner surface of the eccentric f is adapted, when the arm g is elevated, to depress the block 1" within the slot 8 and compress the elastic tube 0 against the rope n. This rope or is attached at its upper end to the window or any part of the building and reaches to or near to the ground.

Passing through the loop is and through loops 2' and the opening it of the eccentric lever f is the body rope m designed to support the rest or seat for the person using the fire escape. This rope m is tied substantially as shown in Fig. l of the drawings, so that the weight of the person will act upon the eccentrio lever f.

The rope or may pass around the roll 0 or to one side as preferred; the roll a being designed to increase the friction between the rope n and the shell a.

Below the slotted portion 8 of the shell a is placed the bell arm p adapted to be screwed into the shell a. The inner end of this arm 10 is adapted, when the arm is rotated, to depress a metallic block against the elastic tube 0 similarly as the block '1" is depressed (not shown in the drawings.)

The operation is as follows: The person is attached by belt or otherwise to the rope m and the weight thus exerted upon shellawill cause it to slide downward on the rope n. The greater the weight of the person the more strain will be exerted upon the arm 41 of eccentric lever f by the rope m and the lever will be elevated depressing the block 7' and pressing the elastic tube 0 against the rope n. Should this friction be too great or too little, the operator may with one hand depress the arm 9 to release the block r or he may turn the arm 10 either way to increase or decrease the friction or he may finally grasp the downwardly extending portion of elastic tube 0 and regulate the friction with his hands.

It is obvious that the rubber or elastic tube 0 may be omitted and the block r provided on its inner face with an elastic brake adapted, when the block 1* is pressed inward, to clamp frictionally upon the rope. It is also obvious that the eccentric lever f may be arranged so that pressure upon the arm n will decrease the friction and that various other portions of the device may be changed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

'1. In a fire escape, the combination of a shell incasing the main rope and adapted to slide thereon, a block placed in the side of said shell, an eccentric lever pivotally secured to said shell and adapted to press said block inward, a ropeattached to the person and passing through eyes in said shell and eccentric lever and adapted to operate said lever, an elastic tube placed between said shell and rope and extending below said shell, all arranged so that the frictional contact between said tube and said rope may be regulated by the pressure exerted upon theeccentric lever by the weight of the person and by the hand grasping the eccentric lever and the depending portion of the elastic tube, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a fire escape, of a main rope, a shell incasing the same and adapted to slide thereon, a friction roll attached to said shell and adapted to bear upon said rope, a block placed in the side of said shell, an eccentric lever attached to said shell and adapted to press said block inward, a rope attached to the person and adapted to operate said eccentric lever, an elastic tube placed between said shell and rope, a stop arm adapted to penetrate said shell, all ar ranged so that when said block and arm are pressed inward, frictional contact between the shell and rope is increased, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of January, 1893.

ADAM SCHEID.

Witnesses: ALFRED GARTNER, WM. D. BELL. 

